GERMANS SIGN SURRENDER

Southland Times, Issue 25668, 10 May 1945, Page 5

GERMANS SIGN SURRENDER

Austere Ceremony In Schoolhouse (Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, May 9. There was an air of austerity throughout the proceedings says a correspondent of Reuters describing the scene at General Eisenhower’s headquarters in the Rhenns schoolhouse when the German representatives signed the instrument of unconditional surrender. The German Chief of Staff, Col-onel-General Jodi sat opposite Major-General Walter BedellSmith. the Allied Chief of Staff. The Germans, except for Admiral Friedeburg, wore grey-green uniforms with full decorations. When saluting they used the regular military salute. There was no unnecessary conversation, The French and Russian delegates did not even speak.

Friedeburg during the preliminary negotiations with Major-General Bed-ell-Smith expressed the fear that the Russians would kill many German soldiers unless they were allowed to surrender directly to the western Allies. Major-General Bedell-Smith expressed no sympathy. He said the Allies were prepared only to discuss unconditional surrender. NO SIGNS OF REMORSE The German delegates showed no signs of remorse. Jodi’s face was completely expressionless as he strode stiffly and arrogantly from the Dakota transport plane in which he arrived at General Eisenhower’s headquarters. A correspondent of the Exchange Telegraph Agency says: When Jodi made his short speech he stood stiffbacked, with his heels close together. General Eisenhower and Major-General Bedell-Smith watched him impassively. His colleagues stared straight-ahead. They left the room in silence. Seventeen Allied war correspondents shifted aside to let them pass and immediately the solemn tableaux of surrender broke up. Conversation broke out among the Allied officers around the table. Moscow radio stated that the unconditional surrender of all Germany’s land, sea and air forces to the Russian and Allied High Commands was ratified in Berlin by Field-Marshal Wilhelm Keitel and Admiral Friedeburc on behalf of Germany, in the presence of Marshal Gregory Zhukov representing Russia, Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder, the deputy Supreme Commander, Lieutenant-General Carl Spaatz, Commander of the American Strategic Air Forces in Europe, and Lieutenant-General de Lattre de Tassigny, Commander of the French Ist Army. The act of surrender stipulates that the Germans must remain in their present positions and hand over intact all their arms and military equipment, including ships and planes, and obey all further orders issued by the Russian and Allied ..Commands. In the event of the German High Command failing to act in accordance with the act of surrender the Russian and Allied commanders would take such punitive or other actions they considered necessary.